Postal device.



No. 665,796. Patented Ian. 8, I90l. 1 H; B. MYERS.

POSTAL DEVICE.

(Application filed Max- 15, 1900.) (No Model.)

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L'Znesses:

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HENRY B. MYERS, OF ORLEANS, LOUISIANA.

POSTAL DEVICE SFEGIFIGATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 665,796, dated January 8, 1901.

Application fil d March 15, 1900. Serial No. 8,829. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HENRY B. MYERS, a citizen of the United States, residing at New Orleans, in the parish of Orleans and State of Louisiana, have invented new and useful Improvements in Postal Devices, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to foldable postal devices and contemplates the provision of a circular or card adapted to be expeditiously folded into about the size of an ordinary postal card or envelop and fastened of itself in such form.

It also contemplates a circular or card adapted, when folded as described, to be fastened by a postage-stamp in such manner that it is held against casual unfolding and yet can be readily opened to an extent sufficient to permit the postal authorities to examine the matter which it bears, this latter feature being advantageous, since it admits of the device being used for advertising purposes.

With the foregoing in mind the invention will be fully understood from the following description and claims when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a plan view of the blank or sheet of paper or cardboard of which my improved deviceis formed. Fig. 2 isa perspective view illustrative of the manner in which the sheet of paper or cardboard is folded. Fig. 3 is an elevation illustrating the sheet as folded and fastened by a postage-stamp applied at the usual point, the said stamp being shown in dotted lines. I

Referring by letters and numerals to the said drawings, A is a rectangular sheet of paper, cardboard, or other material suitable to the purpose of my invention, and 1, 2, 3, 4:, and 5 are the lines on which the said sheet of material is folded to form a postal device of the shape and about the size of an ordinary small-size envelop or postal card, the lines 1 to 4 describing a rectangular body or main section a, as shown.

In practicing the invention and forming the postal device shown in Fig. 3 the piece of material is first folded on the lines 2 and 4 to formthe end-flap sections 1) and 0, respectively, which are designed to lie against the body or main section a, then on the line 3 to form the bottom-flap section d, which is designed to lie over the end-flap sections 1) c and retain same in position, then on the line 1 to form the top-flap section 6, which is in part of two thicknessesf g andis designed to rest over the bottom-flap section dand retain the same in position, and then on the line 5 to form the tongue-section h, which is designed to rest in front of the face of the body or main section a and be connected thereto by a postage-stamp i, applied in the ordinary.

manner. When the tongue his secured to the face of the body or main section a in the manner just described, the device is securely held against casual unfolding, and yet the flap 0 maybe readily withdrawn from beneath the flap cl to permit of an examination of the matter which the sheet bears on its inner side and may be as readily replaced when such inspection is completed. This is obviously an important ad vantage, since it adapts the device, which resembles an ordinary letter in appearance and is a valuable advertising medium for that reason, to be used for the transmission of printed advertising matter through the mails at the same cost as if such matter were simply placed on the face of a card or on a circular carried in an open envelop.

While my improved device is securely held against casual unfolding by the stamp applied in the manner stated, it may be readily opened when it reaches its destination by simply passing a knife between the stamp and'the body or main section a.

When my improved device is folded and the tongue h rests in front of the body or main section a, in the manner described, said tongue h is calculated to hold the device against casual unfolding without the aid of a stamp. When the stamp is omitted, the device is designed to be used to advantage as a compact circular to be distributed from door to door or handed to passers-by.

It will be appreciated from the foregoing that the sheets of paper A may be expeditiously fed through a printing-press to receive any desired printed matter and subsequent to such operation may be readily folded into the postal device shown in Fig. 3, which renders the device almost, if not quite, as cheap as an ordinary circular designed to be transmitted in an envelop. It will also be observed that in order to render the folding of the sheet easier the folding-lines 1 to 5 may, if desired, be indicated by water-marks, dots, or the like.

Having thus described my invention, What I claim is 1. A device for the purpose described, formed of a rectangular sheet of material A, and having the rectangular body-section a, and the flap-sections 1), ed and e folded in against one side of the body-section; the flapsection 6 being interposed between the flapsection 01 and the body-section, and the flapsection 6 being composed of two thicknesses f g, and provided with a tongue hresting over the face of the body-section a, as and for the purpose set forth.

2. The herein-described postal device,oom-

prising a rectangular sheet of material A having the rectangular body-section a and the flap-sections b c d and e folded in against one side of the bodysection; the flap-section c being interposed between the flap-section dand the body-section, and the flap-section ebeing composed of two thicknesses fg, and provided with a tongue h resting over the face of the body-section an, and a connecting device connected by adhesive to the tongue 72, and the face of the body-section a, as set forth.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in presence of tWo subscribing witnesses.

HENRY B. MYERS.

Witnesses:

P. EBERT, W. P. KILLELEA. 

